When I was in culinary school one of my classmates gave me this recipe. Every time I make this dish, I think of him and how much he shared and taught me while we were in school. Thanks again Ankit!

This dish has become a staple in my cookbook and I encourage you to try it. It can be served over basmati rice or any other variety you have on hand, you can also use noodles of any kind. In school we served this with a handmade spatzel (a German style egg noodle) and it was fantastic.

The Courtyard Kitchens' Butter Chicken

Serves 4-6          prep time: 10 mins           cooking time: 20-30 mins

Ingredients

• ½ Kg/ 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken (this is a good place to use thighs, they have more flavour)
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh ginger (grating the ginger works well too)
• 2 tsp of dried turmeric
• 1 tsp of salt

For Sauce

• ¼ cup Vegetable oil
• 2 ½ cups of onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp of garam masala
• 2 tsp of red chili powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• ¾ cup cream
• 2 tbsp of butter
• Cilantro to garnish

Directions: 

1. Marinate Chicken; in a bowl place bite size piece of chicken, add turmeric, ginger, garlic and lemon juice. Ensure chicken is coated with spice. Set aside, at room temperature, for 15-20mins. This will give you time to put the sauce together.
2. In a sauce pan, sauté the onions in the oil until golden brown, then add garlic – cook off 1 min., add the other spices (garam masala, red chilli cinnamon and salt), stir and heat the spices.
3. Add diced tomatoes and cook for 3-5 mins., remove from heat, add cream and puree (immersion blender is great for this). Return to stove and simmer, then add the chicken and marinade mixture. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Once chicken is cooked, add the butter.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sever over rice or noddles. 

         ENJOY!